The National tribune., 1887-12-15
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

4
to select its lesson for Dec Is. It being Christ
mas, we suggest st: Luke, .: s-ll This paragraph
| should first be read very carefully
We are living in the Christian era It is
| supposed our modern dates are from the time
| Of ChriSt's birth. For all practical purposes,
| we may say Jesus was born in the year /, or
| 1887 years ago. Almost universal consent has
settled on Dec. % as his birthday. There is
| much of the esthetie about this date. On that
| day the sun halts SO as TO return North-Win-
| ter begins to end-the days lengthen-Spring
is coming. All these facts are emblenatic Of
| the Advent of the Son OF Righteousness, who
is the Day-Spring from on high.
Christ was born in Bethlehem. ~. ~ 1t
was called the "City of David" from the fact
| he too was born there. 1t was styled Bethle-
hem-Ephratah, to distinguish it from Bethle-
| hem in the tribe Of Zebulon. Christs birth
| place was about six miles south of Jerusalem.
The shepherds were out in field not far
| from the city when the angels appeared and
told them of Christ's birth. In FarrGr's Life Of
| Christ we read
| lone mile from Bethlehem Is n little plain In
which, under grove OF olives, stands the bare and
neglected chapel known by the name Of the An
gel TO the Shepherds IL Is built over the trsdi-
tonal site of the fields where in the beautiful Ian
| guage of st. Luke-more exquisite than any idyl
to Christian ears there were shepherds keeping
watch over their flock by night, when, 10, the an
gel OF the Lord came upon them, and the glory OF
| the Lord shone round about them,' and to their
happy cars were uttered the good tidiDgs OF great
JOY, that unto them was born that day in the City
OF David a Savior, which was Christ the Lord"
The glad news announced by the angels was
the gift of "a Savior, who is Christ the Lord"
He whose birth we celebrate is our Savior.
He came to preserve, protect, deliver, redeem
US. At his circumcision, eight days after his
birth, he was named Jesus, the Savior Of sim
ners. (St. Luke, l. 81; 2:2l.) Hence our
word salvation. For the work he was an
ointed. (St Luke, 4: IS; Acts, A.: 81; 10: 35)
he was Gods appointed, authoritative Savior.
4 n oh l.. ha coll laH
Christ, or, in the Hebrew, Messiah. Anoint-
ing was used in setting apart prophets, priests
| and kings. It symboliZed the importation Of
the Holy Spirit A prophet could not prophesy
unless under the influence of the Holy Ghost;
nor could priest sacrifice for sin, unless thus
inspired from Heaven; nor could a King ad-
minister Government without being similarly
set apart or anointed. A King could not rule,
nor priest ofiiciate at the altar, nor prophet
reveal religious truth, unless consecrated to
each Office, unless anointed. Christ was our
Prophet Priest and King. He was anointed
or set apart to these Offices He is our Prophet,
and hence instructs u.s. He is our Priest, and
as such sacrificed Himself for Us. He is our
King. and therefore our Spiritual Ruler. The
process of amounting was the pouring on the
head, by an authorized person, of some pre-
cions oil. (Ex., 29:7) We do not mean
Christ was literally anointed, but only that,
as one by being anointed was set apart
|
was anointed or spiritually appointed to be-
come the Savior Of the world. We see here
also divine recognition Of the one born in
bethlehem as our TeaA Savior. God anointed
him, and he IL the authoritative Jesus.
Christ, as our Head, is anointed. We are, as it
were his garments. He was Aaron and we his
apparel So his amounting oil in q spiritual
sense triekle5 down over us like the perfume
from the high priests head down upon his fow-
Ing robes The rich streams of holy JUNCTION
distill upon the Church, giving to it (us, the
Bride,) sacredness and sweetness. And this
Savior, who is Christ, is also our Lord. The
word Lord is from Greek root, meaning to be,
to exist. and so points to the eternal existence
OF Christ. Some derive it from another root,
signifying to rule, and so relating to Christ's
Office as Governor. (St. Matt, 2: g. Hence,
combining. we find Christ is our Eternal Ruler.
Angels could announce salvation, but they
could not save sinners. All these wonderful
titles point to Christ's great dignity, and most
Of Christendom believe they are proof Of his
divinity.
Now We have before Us the message from
Heaven declared to the shepherds by the angels.
The care of sheep was q common vocation
among the Jews The account does not intimate
the number during that night watching their
flock in the field near Bethlehem. We cannot
suppose there were many. The angels were a
host, (V. l3 an army; but il was an army
bringing the tidings of peace. The angel who
made the announcement to the shepherds was
probably Gabriel. (St. Lu., ! IL, 10, 26.) IL
, is thought by some that the angelic attendants
were beyond number. Some have imagined
Heaven emptied-angels recalled from every
other locality-all assembled there to sing the
chorus of the announcement. They probably
lowered over the shepherds-talked from the
sky-sung in the air.
Suggestions:
/. Remember the source of our salvation
"Glory to God Say the Heavenly messengers.
Human redemption is not self-devised, nor
self-wrought 1t is not an invention of men, a
product OF human philosophy, survival of the
fttest, an ontgrowth of the schools. We owe
to God the discovery and knowledge of all the
Christian methods which are elevating man
kind from sin 10 holiness. The angels well
knew this and so praised our Heavenly Father
The Author of salvation ia God. This gives
to Church methods effectiveness. We are acting
In the line of Providence. And the Deyiser of
! redemption has promised to oversee the work
and assist in executing the methods. Here is
our ground for confidence. Nothing can OBJ
struct our work as Christians from the fact it
is Gods work-more his than ours. st. John
Il: 13) declares Of the subjects of salvation that
they were born, no. of blood, nor of the will
of the flesh, nor of the viii of man. but of
God"
, 2. We ought to praise God for our salvation.
If angels who are not lost, feel so happy over
our rescue, surely we should be delighted.
Verses Is and IA declare: Suddenly there
was with the angel, O multitude of the Heav-
emily host, praising God and saying, Glory to
God in the highest and on earth peace, good
; will toward men," Do not ordinations of
glory most become US, who are the really inter-
ested parties? George Herbert wrote thus:
The shepherds sing. and shall silent beH
My God, no hymn for Thee?
My souls shepherd too: a flock It feeds
. OF thoughts and words and deeds.
? The pasture 10 Thy Word the stream Thy Grace
Enriching all the place;
. Shepherd and flock shall sing. and AL my powers
Outring the daylight hours"
1t must have seemed curious to the angels
that night, when singing good news for the
whole world, to look down and see only few
poor rustics interested, while the great mass
r for whom the glad tidings were declared, slept
Angels awake and concerned in human saliva
tion, and mankind in sumber This is the
only singing of angels on earth of which we
, have any account Praise becomes u.s. The
; particular reason for praise is our redemption
: through the birth and consequent life and
death of the son of God and the Son of Mary.
Hence the angels say, "Glory to God in the
highest" The grandest Inscriptions of praise
to God are due for the most amazing exhibition
n Of his love as shown in the gift Of his Son to
. become our Savior. Here too is occasion for
r universal songs All can join in the angelic
|, chorus "Glory to Godl" Why? Because the
: angel declared, Z" l bring you good tidings OF
, | great Joy, which shall be 20 all people"-tc
. | Gentiles as we'll as jews So Christmas antici-